I AM TRASH, LES FLEURS DU DÉCHET

TitleI AM TRASH, LES FLEURS DU DÉCHET
BrandETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE
Product/ServicePERFUME
Category A02. Applied Innovation
Entrant OGILVY Paris, FRANCE
Idea Creation OGILVY Paris, FRANCE
Idea Creation 2 ETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE Paris, FRANCE
PR OGILVY Paris, FRANCE
Production OGILVY Paris, FRANCE
Production 2 TOO-YOUNG Paris, FRANCE
Production 3 ETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE Paris, FRANCE
Credits
Name Company Position
Etienne de Swardt Etat Libre d'Orange Founder and managing director
Matthieu Elkaim Ogilvy Paris Chief Creative Officer
Juana O'Gorman Ogilvy Paris Creative Director
Béatrice Lassailly Ogilvy Paris Creative Director
Jeremy Claud Ogilvy Paris Copywriter
Martha Murphy Ogilvy Paris Copywriter
France De-Saint-Steban Ogilvy Paris Artistic Director
Victoria Job Ogilvy Paris Artistic Director
Mathilde Champeaux Ogilvy Paris Artistic Director
Juliette Duc Ogilvy Paris Artistic Director
Emmanuel Ferry Ogilvy Paris Managing Director
Terry Fouchy Ogilvy Paris Project Manager
Clara Bascoul Ogilvy Paris Communication Manager
Inès Dieleman H&O Director / Photographer
Bathélémy de Champsavin H&O Producer
Maxime Gallet H&O Production Director
Jordan Santoul H&O Stage Manager
Thierry Cron H&O 1er Director Assistant / photo
François Catonné H&O Head Operator
Raphaël Dougé H&O 1er assistant OPV
Eric Baraillon H&O Electronic Operator
Eric Baraillon H&O Electronic Operator
Alain Roussel H&O Decorator
Manuel Senra H&O Tamer
Garance Du Nord H&O Floral stylist
Aurélie Hyson H&O Director / Photographer
Emmanuelle Bottelin-Lescoutre H&O Post Producer
Quentin Lohr H&O Editor
Emiliano Serantoni Reepost Color Grading
François Puget Reepost Graphic Artist
Nicolas Schindler Elevation Studio Composer

Why is this work relevant for Innovation?

Creating a perfume from waste is both technically and conceptually innovative in the sense that it has never been done before so we had to put up new production processes to collect waste and proceed to a second extraction of their juice. In terms of communication, starring worms and decomposing elements in a film is far from the codes of the luxury sector and the public. From experts to novices, they all acknowledged this initiative as a step-forward for the industry. Challenging conventions of a “fine fragrance”, I AM TRASH is at the forefront of a revolution in luxury.

Background

Upcycling being the last big thing in the environmental field, there was one industry that still didn’t acknowledge this: perfumery. I AM TRASH is the first and, for now, only perfume made from the waste of the industry. Luxury generates 92 million tons of waste each year. Etat Libre D’Orange doesn’t follow the rules; it broke them all. As all firsts, the upcycling production process was complex and creatively limited. We had to comply with strict guidelines and regulations on health and cosmetics, learning about a production process that goes beyond advertising. Givaudan, the fabricant, had to develop new ways of working to collect leftovers and proceed to a second extraction of those. The composition of this unconventional perfume was created by Daniela Andrier, known for her creations for Kenzo, Gucci and Prada. With the resources of a small player, only a breakthrough concept could bring this project to life.

Describe the idea

The idea behind I AM TRASH was to reveal the beauty in waste. From the scent itself to all the communication around it, we wanted to show that waste can be aesthetic and delightful for all senses. Luxury is deeply linked with the notion of timeless value, yet we tend to live more and more through ephemeral experiences, from social relations to consuming behaviors. The concept of renaissance was at the heart of our creative development since the prosperity of humankind will depend on our ability to manage waste. For the first time in history, I AM TRASH reconciliated two opposite worlds: perfume and waste; to prove everyone that the same industry that produces 92M tons of waste per year can also change its paradigm.

What were the key dates in the development process?

When we first thought of creating a perfume made of waste from the very process of fabricating perfume, we had no idea if it would be technically possible. Fabricants were reluctant towards the commercial appeal of this concept and they doubted if it was worth the investment. So before starting R&D, we had to convince them about the potential of this groundbreaking idea. April 2nd 2018. We launched a teaser film and a big PR effort around it, to stir excitement and find support for the idea, in hopes to persuade a perfume fabricator into taking on the never-seen-before ambition and have the new signature scent in-market before the end of the year. April 10th 2018. Our strategy worked and Givaudan, the world’s leading flavor and fragrance producer, agreed to join the project. From April to July 2018. We entered into the development phase. As all firsts, the upcycling process to produce the juice was complex and creatively limited. Givaudan had to develop new ways of working to collect leftovers and proceed to a second extraction of these organic resources. As if this wasn’t enough of a challenge, we had to comply with strict guidelines to make sure that the perfume was in line with regulatory specifications. Once we had identified the list of upcycled ingredients we could reuse, we started working on the composition of the perfume with famous nose Daniela Andrier; known for her numerous creations for Prada, Gucci and Kenzo among many others. After 6 rounds of trials and feedback, we achieved a scent which reflects a delicate and refined mix of fruity and woody notes in opposition to the brutality of a name like I AM TRASH. From July to August 2018. The scent was tested in laboratories to make sure that it was compliant with regulation at all levels (acidity, allergens, toxicity and so on). In the meantime, we worked on the packaging design. We engraved a flower on the bottle to recall the teaser film launched in April. September 2nd, 2018. The perfume was approved by the National Agency of Medical Security and Health Products. The test results were in line with European directives n°2003/15 and articles L. 5131-1 of the public health code of conduct. Following that, we entered the finalization phase where we had to create visual assets to promote the campaign. From September to October 2018. We developed POS materials to provide to retailers. In order to refresh the hype around April’s PR launch, we created the first fully recycled campaign. Art directors went through the marketing archives of the brand to retrieve old-dated posters that they transformed into new posters. October 10th 2018. The perfume was officially launched in the brand's boutique in Le Marais Paris and in 450 retailers worldwide. In the UK, Selfridges requested and paid for exclusivity during the first month of commercialization.

Describe the innovation / technology

I AM TRASH is the first scent made from waste. Its composition (also known as an olfactory pyramid) is made of 3 layers: - top notes: apple essence, bitter orange, lemongrass Guatemala, green tangerine - heart notes: rose absolute, Iso E Super, Gariguettes Strawberries - base notes: Cedarwood Atlas, Sandalore, Akigalawood In order to achieve this exclusive juice, Givaudan (the biggest perfume fabricator in the world) had to develop new production processes to collect and upcycle leftovers so that they could be reused for a second extraction. Regulation on perfume is really strict so they ran a series of tests to make sure that these new ingredients were totally safe. Once the list of potential ingredients was cleared up, we worked with famous nose Daniela Andrier to compose the scent. The creation development was challenging since she had a narrow list of ingredients at her disposal. However, the resulting scent is a surprisingly delicate and refined mix of fruity and woody notes. I AM TRASH was launched in October 2018 and is now available in more than 450 retailers worldwide.

Describe the expectations / outcome

Results were beyond our expectations. We met our business objective: only this launch compensated the usual two launches per year. 3 months after the release, demand was 4 times higher than previous bestseller. It became the most successful launch in the history of the brand. We signed a partnership with Ipsy to distribute 500K samples in the US, which is expected to boost the company’s 2019 revenues by up to 20%. In terms of cultural long-term impact, the media not only talked about it but also celebrated the concept behind. Vogue, Elle, GQ and even non-related media such as Le Figaro, Le Monde or Forbes recognized it as a step-forward for the entire industry. Givaudan, the fabricant we worked with, is now receiving similar requests from big luxury brands. A hopeful sign that the innovation will represent a change of mindset rather than just a product launch.